Door frame



C. HANKINS Feb. 15, 1944.

DOOR FRAME Filed May 5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 1'5, 1944.

C. HANKINS DOOR FRAME Filed May 5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 15,v 1944. v C, HANKlNs 2,341,612

DOOR FRAME Fiied May s, 1941 5 sheets-sheet s Feb. 15, 1944. Q HANKlNs 2,341,612`

DooR FRAME Filed May 5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Feb. 15, 1944.

C. HANKINS DOOR FRAME Filed May 5, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Feb. 15, 1944 UNITED DOOR FRAME Cyrus Hankins, Washington, D. C., assignor Vto Unitcast Corpora-tion, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 5, 1941, Serial No. 391,961

(Cl. M15-280) 9 Claims.

My invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to cast metal door frames for railway hopper cars.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a door frame made of cast metal which may be easily and accurately produced with equipment which is available in even relatively small foundries.

Heretofore cast metal door frames have been made in one piece and although the most approved methods have been followed n their manufacture considerable difficulty has nevertheless been encountered in producing accurate frames on account of their size and weight. Moreover, few foundries are equipped to economically produce such large castings.

To eliminate the difficulties encountered in producing door frames formed as a single unitary casting and to provide a frame which may be easily and accurately made in all but the smallest foundries, the present invention is concerned with forming a door frame of a plurality of cast metal parts or elements which are welded together. The invention contemplates a door frame which is formed of four cast parts, namely, a top member, a bottom member and inner and outer side members which are respectively welded to the opposite ends of the top and bottom members.

One of the features of the invention consists in forming the cast top and bottom members of the frame so that they may be selectively used with right and left hand frame assemblies.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing the opposite ends of the top member of the frame with downwardly converging portions which are respectively welded to the inner and outer members of t'fieframe.

Another feature ofthe invention consists in providing the top member with a pair of hinge lugs inwardly of each end thereof and in similarly forming the portions of the top member beyond the hinge lugs with angularly disposed faces which are respectively welded to the side members of the frame.

Another and more specic feature of the invention consists in providing the contiguous ends of the welded members of the frame with substantially parallel reinforcing marginal ribs.

Other and more specific features of the invention, residing in advantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts, will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view of a railway hopper car having a door frame embodying myinvention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the car construction illustrated in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the door frame, the Welding material whereby the component parts of the frame are connected being omitted in some places for sake of clarity.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the outer side member of the door frame.

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of one-half of the top member of the door frame.

Figure 6 is a view corresponding to Figure 5 of the bottom member of the door frame.

Figure 7 is a view complementary to Figure 5 illustrating the other half of the top member of the door frame.

Figure 8 is a view complementary to Figure 6 illustrating the other half of the lower member of the door frame.

Figure 9 is a front elevational view of the inner member of the door frame.

Figure l0 is an inside view of the outer member of the door frame.

Figure 11 is an inside view of the inner member of the door frame.

Figures 12, 13 and 14 are enlarged detail sectional views on lines |2-I2, |3|3 and IIL-I4, respectively of Figure 4.

Figure l5 is an enlarged end elevational view of the bottom member of the door frame shown in Figure 6.

Figure 16 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line lG-I 6 of Figure 6.

Figure 17 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line I'l-ll of Figure l5.

Figures 18 and 19 are enlarged detail sectional views on lines l8-l8 and |9-|9. respectively, of Figure '7.

Figure 20 is an enlarged detail sectional vier: taken on line 20-2-0 of Figure 9.

Figure 21 is a detail sectional view taken on line 2l-2I of Figure 3 but showing the welding material which is omitted from Figure 3 for sake of clarity.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I indicates one of the channel members of a conventional type of center sill of a railway hopper car. In such cars the hoppers are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the center sill and each hopper is formed of inner and outer side sheets 2 and 3, respectively, which are secured along their lower edges to a floor or slope sheet 4. Secured to the forward edges of these hopper sheets and to the lower edge of a transverse hood sheet 5 is the cast metal door frame 6 on which is hingedly mounted a sheet metal door 'I adapted to swing to open position under the influence of gravity. Secured to the outer face of the door is a spreader 8 which is correspondingly secured to a similar door (not shown) of the hopper (not shown) on the opposite side of the center sill of the car, so that the two doors will swing together as one. Projecting from each end of the door spreader is an arm 9 which is engageable with a pivoted hook I0 by which the door is maintained in closed position. A cam I I is customarily provided to lock the hook I in door securing position.

'I'he door frame 6 is formed of a cast top member I2, a cast bottom member I3 and cast inner and outer side members I4 and I5, respectively. which are welded to the opposite ends of the top and bottom members. These four members define a substantially rectangular opening through which lading is adapted to discharge from the car. The corners of the discharge opening of the frame are rounded and for a purpose which will hereinafter appear, the upper rounded corners of the opening are formed in part by the end portions of the top member and in part by the adjoining portions of the inner and outer side members, While the lower rounded corners of the opening are preferably formed entirely by the side members.

The top member is formed with a. flange I6 for attachment to the transverse hood sheet of the hopper and projecting from the lower edge of the flange is a plate portion I1 which terminates in a face portion I8 provided at its lower edge with an outwardly projecting sealing flange I9 adapted to cooperate with the marginal flange along the upper edge of the door to prevent the escape of lading from the hopper.

Inwardly of each end thereof the top member I2 of the frame is provided with a pair of hinge lugs 20 which are adapted to receive a pin 2| by which the adjacent hinge strap 22 of the door is pivotally connected to the frame. The end portions of the top member beyond the hinge lugs are of greater width than the portion of the top member intermediate the hinge lugs, so that the end faces of the member which are welded to the side members will be of increased area. To further increase the length of the weld between each end of the top member and the adjoining side members and to thereby increase the strength of the connection between these members, each end of the top member and the coacting portions of the inner and outer side members have angularly disposed faces. Each Yof the coacting faces of the top and side members preferably has a Vertical portion and a downwardly and inwardly inclined portion, the vertical faces of the top member being designated by the numeral 23 and the corrresponding faces of the inner and outer members being designated by the numerals 24 and 25, respectively. while the inclined portions of the end faces of the top member are indicated by the numeral 26 and the corresponding faces of the inner and outer side members are designated by the numerals 2T and 28, respectively. Although the in clined faces of the coacting portions of the top and side members may be conveniently arranged at an angle of forty-five degrees and to bisect the angles formed by the top and side edges of the opening formed by the frame, it will, of course, be appreciated that these faces may be disposed at other angles to the vertical and in other relationships to the upper corner angles of the lading discharge opening.

The outer side member I5 of the frame is of generally triangular shape and its upper portion is substantially the same in cross section as the top member I2 of the frame, having a top flange 29 and plate portions 3G and 3I respectively corresponding to the top flange I6 and plate portions I1 and I8 of the tcp member. The face portion 3| tapers downwardly and it is provided along its inner edge with a sealing flange 32 which forms a continuation of the sealing flange along the lower edge of the top member I2. Along its outer edge, the side member I5 is provided with a marginal flange, the upper portion 33 of which projects forwardly from the hopper' sheet attaching flange 29 to afford means whereby the frame may be rigidly attached to the adjacent side sill 34 and side sheet 35 of the car and the lower portion 33a of which projects rearwardly from the face portion 3I to afford means by which the frame may be attached to the outer side sheet 3 of the hopper.

Like the outer side member I5, the upper portion of the inner side member I4 of the frame is similar in cross section to the top member I2 of the frame, having a flange 36 and plate portions 31 and 38 respectively corresponding to flange I6 and plate portions iI and I8 of the top member. The face portion 38 tapers downwardly and it is formed along its inner edge with a sealing flange 39 which constitutes a continuation of the sealing flange I9 of the top member. Projecting rearwardly from the face portion 3S is a flange 49 by which the frame may be secured to the inner hopper side sheet 2. This flange 40 also affords convenient means to which an angle bracket 4I may be applied to rigidly connect the frame to the center sill I of the car.

Not only do the contiguous downwardly inclined faces of the top and side members of the frame increase the length of the weld between those parts, but the inclined faces 2l and 28 of the side members serve as abutments on which the ends of the top member rest. Thus, impacts to which the top member is subjected from lading7 dropped into the car are resisted as much by the engagement of the top member with the supporting abutments provided therefor by the side mem` bers as by the welds themselves, because the side members are prevented from spreading laterally by reason of their attachment to the hopper sheets and adjoining parts of the car. A very rrn and rigid connection is, therefore, obtained between the top member of the frame and the side members thereof.

The bottom member i3 of the frame is of substantial angle shape in cross section having a plate portion 42 for attachment to the slope sheet 4 of the hopper. The forward edge of portion 42 terminates in a sealing flange 43 and the inner edge thereof terminates in a downwardly projecting reinforcing flange 44. The inner and outer side members have flanges and 46, respectively, which constitute continuations of the flange 44 of the bottom member, flange 45 of the inner side member I4 extending upwardly a substantial distance to adjacent the point to which the center sill connecting angle bracket 4I is attached and flange 46 of the outer side member extending upwardly for a limited distance and merging into a reinforcing pad or the like 47 on which the hook I0 and cam I I are pivotally mounted.

The location of the welded joints between the bottom member I3 and the side members I4 and l5 is substantially at the point of -co'ntraexure of the bottom member when loaded as a beam. By locating the welded joints at these points, the welding material instead of being in tension is subjected to shearing stresses.

The side edges or corners of the faces of the respective members which are welded toegther are beveled or inclined as indicated at 4S so as to provide, as shown in Figure 21, substantially V- shaped notches on opposite sides of the frame at the meeting faces of each of the members for receiving the welding material. To reinforce the various members of the frame at the points where they are welded together and to increase the area of the welded surfaces, each of the members is provided on one face or theother with marginal ribs or beads which are so disposed as not to interfere with the attachment of the frame to the hopper sheets or with movement of the door to open or closed position. For this reason, the ends of the top member of the frame are'formed with marginal ribs or beads 49 on the outer faces of the flange IB and plate portion il' thereof and with marginal ribs or beads eil on the inner faces of the face portion I8 and the sealing flange I9. Adjacent portions of the side members oi the frame are formed with marginal ribs 5i and 52 respectively corresponding to the marginal ribs 49 and 5e on the top member. The ends of the bottom member I3 of the frame are formed with similar marginal reinforcements 53 on the outer faces of portions 52 and flange 'i4 thereof and corresponding portions of adjoining parts of the side members of the frame are formed with similar marginal ribs 54.

Preparatory to welding the four elements of the frame together, they are placed in a jig. If any part of the frame is bent or inaccurate, it will not t into the jig, thus making it impossible for defective parts to be incorporated into the frame. However, individual pieces can ofttimes be straightened or corrected so as to properly t the jig with the result that few of the castings are unusuable, whereas with the one piece frame little correction can be made to one portion without distortion or misalignnient of another portion, thus frequently resulting in a rejection of the frame. In the welded frame, the fitting points for the door and the associated car parts are determined by the jig so that a frame made in this manner is free from the variations found in one piece frames due to metal shrinkage. Thus, a better door fit is obtained with the welded frame and a more accurate t is obtained between the frame and adjoining parts of the car structure.

As appears from the drawings, the end portions of the top member of the frame are of the same shape and construction and the same thing is true with the end portions of the bottom member. Thus these two members can be used to form either a right hand or a left hand frame. Accordingly, since the major diierences in frames suitable for different car designs occur in the side parts of the f rame, a pair of right and left frames having different side members from those illustrated in the drawings can be produced by only making new right and left patterns for the two side members instead, as in the case of the one piece frame, of making complete elaborate and costly right and left frame patterns.

In addition to these savings, the four frame elements can be molded individually or in multiple with the use of much less sand, smaller flasks and considerably less floor space than is required in molding the one piece frame. Moreover, the incorrect running of the metal in one element of the frame will not spoil the whole frame as with the one piece frame and the position of each indidividual piece in the mold can be such as to produce the greatest ease and accuracy in molding.

What I claim is:

1. A door frame for railway cars including a cast top member of angular shape, a cast bottom member, and cast inner and outer side members respectively welded to the opposite ends of said top and bottom members, the upper portions of said side members being of the same angular shape as said top member and constituting longitudinal continuations thereof, the opposite ends of said top member having downwardly and inwardly inclined portions respectively Welded to and disposed in abutting relation with the inner edges of the upper portions of said side members.

2. A door frame for railway cars including a cast top member, a cast bottom member, and cast inner and outer side members respectively welded to the opposite ends of said topand bottom members, said top member having a pair of hinge lugs inwardly of each end thereof and the end portions of said top member beyond the hinge lugs respectively being of greater width than the width of the portion of the top member intermediate the hinge lugs and having downwardly and inwardly inclined faces welded to and disposed in abutting relation with the inner edges of the upper portions of said side members.

3. A door fra-me for railway cars including a cast top member, a cast bottom member, and cast inner and outer side members respective- 1y welded to the opposite ends of said top and bottom members, said top member having two pairs of hinge lugs and each end of the top member having angularly disposed faces, the inner edges of the upper portions of said inner and outer members being in abutting relation with said faces of the top member and alfording a supporting abutment for said top member.

4. A door frame for railway cars having a substantially rectangular lading discharge opening, the corners of which are rounded, said frame including a cast top member, a cast bottom member, and cast inner and outer side members respectively welded to opposite ends of said top and bottom members, the upper rounded corners of said opening being formed in part by the top member and in part by the upper portions of the inner and outer side members and the lower rounded corners of the opening being formed entirely by said side members.

5. A door frame for railway cars including a cast top member, a cast bottom member, and cast inner and outer side members respectively welded to the opposite ends of said top and bottom members, each. end of the top member being of substantially the same formation and each having a vertical face and a downwardly and in wardly inclined face, the upper portions of the side members also respectively having vertical and downwardly inclined faces which are arranged in abutting relation with the corresponding faces on the ends of the top member.

6. A door frame for railway hopper cars having a lading discharge opening, said frame including a cast top member, a cast bottom member, and cast inner` and outer side members, said top member being welded to the side members adjacent the upper corners of the lading discharge opening and said bottom member being welded to the side members at substantially the points where contrafiexure will occur in the bottom portion of the frame when loaded as a beam.

7. A door frame for railway cars having a substantially rectangular lading discharge opening, said frame including a cast top member, a cast bottom member, and cast inner and outer side members respectively welded to the opposite ends of said top and bottom members in abutting relation therewith, said top member being substantially symmetrical about a transverse axis and being welded to the side members at the upper corners of said opening, said bottom member being symmetrical about a transverse axis and being Welded to the side members at points inwardly of the lower corners of the opening.

8. A cast door frame for railway cars including a cast top member having a hopper sheet attaching ange and a sealing flange, a cast bottom member, and cast inner and outer side members respectively Welded to the opposite ends of said top and bottom members in abutting relation therewith, the outer face of the hopper sheet attaching iiange of the top member being provided with reinforcing marginal ribs along its opposite side edges and the portions of the side members to which said hopper sheet attaching ange is welded being respectively provided with similar ribs, whereby the welded portions of said top and side members are of increased area.

9. A door frame for railway cars including a cast top member having a hopper sheet attaching ange and a sealing ange, a cast bottom member, and cast inner and outer side members respectively welded to the opposite ends of said top and bottom members in abutting relation therewith, said side members respectively having hopper sheet attaching fianges and sealing iianges forming continuations of the corresponding anges of said top member, adjoining portions of the hopper sheet attaching ilanges of the top and side members being respectively provided on their outer faces with marginal ribs and adjoining portions of the sealing iianges of the top and side members being respectively provided on their inner surfaces With marginal ribs whereby the welded portions of said members are of increased area.

CYRUS HANKINS. 

